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June 21, 2021

Word of the Day: Inveigle

2 CQ

Word of the Day : June 21, 2021

inveigle \in-VAY-gul\ verb

Definition

1 : to win over by wiles : entice

2 : to acquire by ingenuity or flattery : wangle

Did You Know?

Inveigle, a word that dates from the 16th century, refers to the act of using clever talk, trickery, or flattery either to persuade somebody to do something or to obtain something, but etymologically the word is linked to eyesight—or the lack thereof. Inveigle came to English from the Anglo-French verb enveegler, meaning "to blind or hoodwink someone," from the adjective enveugle, meaning "blind." Enveugle derives from the Medieval Latin ab oculis, a phrase which literally translates to "lacking eyes."

Aired June 21, 2021

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